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Sometimes we need to go to the end of a thing to understand the beginning. I imagine that like me you read scripture in small bites or sections. I read the Bible through each year but never all in one day. And even when we read a chapter or even an entire book of the Bible in one sitting, we can fall into the trap of trying to understand it separately from the whole grand narrative that God has revealed to us in the Bible.

In Isaiah 12, the prophet pauses in the middle of his longish book and gives us a hymn or song of praise. This song reminds us that God’s plan in Genesis is the same as it is in Revelation and could only be accomplished through Jesus. God’s great gift to us is that he wants to be with us. But not just that he wants to be with us, He is with us. Isaiah’s hymn ends in verse six, reminding us that we “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

I fear that we tend to think our reward comes at the end of our lives when we finally get to eternity with God. But Isaiah and all of scripture teaches us that God came to us at creation, when he filled the temple, in the word that became flesh and dwelt among us, and by his Spirit dwelling in us now. We sing praises to God because, as this hymn of Isaiah tells us, God is with us!

Twice in these six verses we are called to give thanks. Thanks that God has conquered sin and death and has turned from anger and given us his great comfort. And because of that, we do not have to live in fear but rather can live by his strength. By his strength we can joyfully draw from his well of salvation. This leads us to our second expression of gratitude.

We are so filled with thanksgiving for what God has done for us that we call on his name and make his deeds known to all the people of earth. This message is exactly what Jesus told his disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel. “Go and make disciples of all people.” Isaiah 12:6 and Matthew 28:18-20 describe the right response to our gratitude for what God has done for us by coming to live in us.

2 Timothy 4 contains what most scholars think are Paul’s last written words. When you read the end of this chapter, we find Paul saying something very similar to Isaiah’s message. Paul’s words also demonstrate his obedience to the commission Jesus gave his first disciples and us. Consider Paul’s words:

“But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul had discovered the truth of Isaiah’s hymn of praise. Paul learned that we are never alone when Christ dwells in us. Christ is our strength and our comfort, and we need not be afraid even when there is darkness and difficulty around us. We will have seasons when the storm clouds surround us, but even then God is in our midst and will give us everything we need as we faithfully proclaim his good news to others.

Father, today we are grateful for the hymns of the saints that have gone before us that remind us that you are in our midst and therefore we are never alone. By your Spirit use us to share your love and your good news with someone today. In Jesus’ name, amen.